


Cupcakes of Camelot

by PretentiousSwanQueen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:29:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PretentiousSwanQueen/pseuds/PretentiousSwanQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin owns a bakery and finds himself in a conundrum with Arthur Pendragon after some wayward cupcakes and overeager receptionists threaten to wreak havoc at Pendragon Corporations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cupcakes of Camelot

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to dedicate this fluffy bit of frosting covered porn to Frannie (I have wanted to dedicate a PWP to someone for the longest time and ohmygoodness I can't believe I actually get to do this!). I know you asked for a coffeeshop fic, but being the friend that I am, here is a bakery fic with frosting. Happy Birthday!

“Shit.” Merlin mumbled as his piping bag ran short of frosting, just before he was able to finish the wording on the cake. “A little help here!”

Gwen, bless her soul, came swooping in to the rescue with more frosting. “What time does this order need to be out by?”

“Eight minutes ago!” Elena cursed as she finished boxing up the extra cupcakes.

Merlin fiddled with the extra frosting and finished off the final ‘a’ on the cake with flourish, adding two extra exclamation points as a nervous habit. It was one thing to joke about starting up a bakery with his best friends when they were fresh out of uni and without jobs; it was another thing altogether to have actually pulled it off. There were times when Merlin still thought that this whole thing was just a dream and someday soon he would come crashing back to reality with a failed business and no one left to care for him.

The cake was taken away into Gwen’s steady hands as she smiled up at him. “It looks delectable, Merlin. Like always.”

He gave her a sarcastic smile and was rolling his eyes as he yanked the stained apron up over his unruly hair.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Elena tugged at Merlin’s arm as she rushed him out of the back door of the shop with two dozen cupcakes swaying precariously from his hands. “To the van!”

Elena took off ahead of him and swung open the hatch as Merlin blundered over, trying to make sure that he didn’t end up flat on his face. Luckily the head chef, Percy, came out behind him carrying the sheet cake; Merlin didn’t want to be trusted with that kind of responsibility. He was hardly handling the cupcakes all right without tripping and making a scene.

Before Merlin and Elena could pile into the van, Gwen came rushing out with an extra box of cupcakes in her arms. “Here’s some extra, just in case!”

Merlin kissed her on the cheek in gratitude as she shoved the box off towards the frantic Elena. “You’re a bloody lifesaver, you know that? I swear you inject some of Percy’s finest frosting straight into your veins you are so perfect.”

Gwen blushed before attempting to placate his wayward hair. “I want you to behave now. I heard wind that Pendragon Corporations will cater from us again if we are well received today!”

Pupils widening in glee, Merlin folded himself into the front seat, Elena already revving the engine, gunning to get out of here. He barely shut the door before they were off and speeding towards the freeway.

“Did you hear that Elena? We might gain loyal customers.” Merlin gasped, clasping his hands together with glee. “Loyal, very wealthy customers!”

She shushed him off as she tried to manipulate and maneuver around the traffic lights. “Yes, yes I heard Gwen. But we have to actually deliver the goods in order for us to be in business, you know.”

Elena took her eyes off the road briefly to raise her right eyebrow at him.

“Of course, of course! Drive woman, drive!” And with that, they lapsed into comfortable silence as Merlin fiddled with the radio, trying to find something that wasn’t the worst top forty.

~

They say that you can’t make up time on the road, but with Elena’s dexterity, they pulled up to Pendragon Corporation with a few precious seconds to spare.

“Wow.” Merlin felt rendered speechless by the building’s façade – it was all glass and steel, cementing in his mind that this company was wealthy. If he could bake them cupcakes at their every whim, staying in business would be all but guaranteed.

“We’re not in Ealdor anymore, are we?” Elena murmured, parallel parking in front of the front revolving glass doors.

Merlin and Elena sat still for a moment before Elena snapped out of their small-town amazement and popped open the boot as she slipped out between oncoming traffic. Merlin was jerked from his own revelry a few seconds later when Elena’s voice ordered him to help, or she would shove a cupcake up where the sun doesn’t shine.

“Fine, fine! I’m coming.” Merlin said sheepishly. “No need to threaten me.”

The look of contempt she threw at him over the box containing the sheet cake was enough to make a Venus Fly-Trap wither, but he couldn’t help and appreciate that she didn’t leave him in charge of the cake.

He smiled cheekily as he lifted out most of the boxes filled with cupcakes. Together, they began the slow procession into the sleek building, trying not to leave fingerprints on the spotless glass.

Elena took the lead and marched up to the reception desk. “Excuse me, uh-” she glanced down at the woman’s blouse, “Sophia, we’re here per Mr. Pendragon?”

Sophia looked up at the two of them, and Merlin could tell with the way that her eyes flicked over them, with her lip quirked up in amusement, they must look like ragamuffins to her. “Of course. Arthur is expecting you. He’s on the twelfth floor. Just take the elevators.”

And with that, Sophia pursed her lips and went back to pecking away at the monitor in front of her. Merlin gave her a steely eye as he swung around and called for the elevator. He and Elena could barely keep their thoughts to themselves as they tried to wait patiently for the doors to open up. Once they were finally sealed in the safety of the elevator however, Elena quickly let out a guffaw.

“Who shoved a stick up her arse? Honestly!” she shook her head in amazement.

“You think she’s not getting any? I mean, with hair teased that way and her blouse gaping open like so…” Merlin tried to keep a straight face, managing only for a few seconds before a wide grin split open across his boyish face, crinkling at the corners of his eyes.

Elena tipped her head back as she continued to chortle. “He’d have to be an idiot, that’s for sure.”

They hardly had time to comment much further, the elevator was swift in its purpose. The door pinged open, exposing the two to the most posh office they laid their eyes on. It certainly wasn’t Cupcakes of Camelot and its quaint mismatched garden tables and overabundance of teacups used in decoration.

Merlin stumbled gracelessly from the lift, somehow managing to still hold steady onto the cupcakes. Elena was more tactful with her entrance, looking around for someone to help them, presumably Mr. Pendragon, er, Arthur according to the lovely Sophia.

They barely took four steps on the plush office carpeting before a shaggy-haired gentleman swooped out of a nearby room, closing the mahogany door swiftly behind him.

“Ah, I thought I heard the sound of company!” he said by way of greeting, brushing a stray lock of his flowing hair away from his wide brown eyes. Merlin assessed him, noting his fit arse and relaxed yet still formal skinny tie ensemble. He could only hope that he was gay, or at least bisexual for his sake, but this new gentleman seemed to only have eyes for Elena as he strolled over, taking in the sight of them burdened down with bakery boxes.

A look of recognition washed over his face. “You must be the caterers! Here, let me take you through this way,” he gestures, guiding Elena by the elbow to another secluded office around the corner from the elevators, Merlin trailing behind like the training wheels on a bicycle.

“I’m Gwaine by the way. And you are?” he said, looking at Elena’s face with such earnest care, it took all of Merlin’s might to not hurl on the spot. Not that he was allergic to romance, per say, it’s just that after things with Will, he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to see so much unabashed lust firsthand just yet. Gwen kept telling him that he should put himself back out there, but Merlin much rather preferred the company of his saggy couch and a plate full of freshly baked cupcakes.

Elena smiled, her cheeks pinking only perceptibly to Merlin, who has known her for years. “Elena. And this here is Merlin. I would give you my hand to shake, but,” she looked pointedly at the cake box. “Speaking of which, where is the guest of honor? I would hate to ruin the surprise.”

Gwaine laughed good-naturedly. “Morgana? Don’t worry about her. She’s most likely still, uh, occupied with Morgause on the roof.”

Elena raised her eyebrow at Gwaine. He shook his head and tucked his hands into the pockets of his well-cut dress pants. “Hey! The plan is all Arthur’s. I personally think it was well-executed; Morgana’s been in need of a good time for a while now. She’s had a few issues with her father I think she’d like to just put behind her.”

“Nothing says a fresh start like a birthday!” Merlin piped in from behind them. Gwaine gave him a gratuitous head nod before gesturing at a decorated table.

“Here’s where you guys can, uh, do your magic. Make everything look good. I’m going to check on how things are going with Morgana.” Gwaine winked before tugging at his hair again and ducking out the office door.

He was hardly ten feet before Elena looked gleefully at Merlin. “Gwaine is so handsome, isn’t he?”

Her eyes shone brightly with lust. Merlin chuckled lightly before agreeing. “You have a knack for charming all the right men, don’t you?”

She looked at him fondly. “You’re going to be lucky someday too, you know. It’s not my fault that you always seem to go after the scums in society. I swear Merlin, please tell me you’re not still pining after Will.”

He looked sheepishly down at his arms still laden with cupcakes. It’s not that he was still pining after Will, it’s just that he was pining for a relationship that he could never quite seem to have. It’s not like they were all still in uni and their lives were as fresh as daisies. He was a grown man and he couldn’t stop thinking about his mother’s saddened face every time he came home without someone on his arms.

Elena gave him a scolding look as she hoisted the boxes of cupcakes from his thin arms. Before she could spare him any more guilt, he turned on his heel and made towards the door. “Got to pop out and grab the extra cupcakes Gwen tucked away. Be back in a bit!”

Before he could make it all the way out, Elena ruffled his hair playfully, one box of cupcakes still in her arms, making it impossible to attack her. Merlin stuck out his tongue and loped back towards the elevator.

He ran into Gwaine as the elevator doors opened and he was sweeping out. “Merlin! Looks like everything is going to plan – Morgana will be down her in a matter of minutes. Is everything set?”

He nodded his head, trying not to stare too much at Gwaine’s slightly plump lips. Figures Elena would attract the most delectable thing in this office building. “Elena’s taking care of things. I’ll be back to help in a tick!”

And with that, the doors of the elevator finally closed with a gentle snick and Merlin tried to catch his breath. He had to get the extra cupcakes out of the van fast if he didn’t want to accidently catch Morgana in the elevator with part of her own birthday surprise. Not like Merlin even knew who Morgana was, but he wouldn’t put it past himself for spilling the beans to her all about her huge surprise.

Merlin breezed past the uptight Sophia in the lobby, ignoring the daggers she shot out of her eyes. He had bigger fish to fry. He managed to wrench the boot open on the third try, his hands shaking slightly. Not messing up this business venture would mean big things for Cupcakes of Camelot. If they catered out simply for an employee’s birthday, Merlin could only imagine the kind of revenue he could make. More than enough to keep him and his friends employed, that much was certain.

As soon as he steadied his hands enough, he snatched up the final few dozen cupcakes from Gwen and snapped the hatch of the van closed again, locking the door over his shoulders. He raced through the immaculate glass doors and darted quickly across the lobby, punching the call elevator button, tapping his converse shoes impatiently.

It seemed to take ages for an elevator to retrieve him, Merlin was rolling on the balls of feet, eager to just race in and take a quick zip straight up to get the cupcakes in place. He was so intent on his mission, he didn’t plan on anyone getting in his way.

That is, until someone did get in his way. And not just in Merlin’s way, but the cupcakes way too.

The doors to the elevator had barely hissed open before Merlin flung himself in their direction, not bothering to notice that there was another occupant in his way. However, not noticing and not reacting are two completely different concepts.

It was quite beautiful actually, if one could slow down and view the whole ordeal in slow motion, 1080 HD. Such quality would capture the distracted look on the blonde man’s face when slowly ambushed by a bakery carton full of freshly frosted and decorated cupcakes. It would capture the range of emotions he went through as the cupcakes slowly arced through the air and caught him off guard, smacking into his tailored suit and impeccable pores. It would show Merlin and his horror as the box elevated out of his hands as the doors swooshed shut behind him, locking him into a small enclosed space with a very distraught man, frosting dusting his eyelashes.

The carriage was completely silent as they pinged past the first two floors of the building. But in that time, the blonde man was formulating some very choice things to say to this incompetent being staring at him in shock and horror as cupcake guts continued to fall off from his suit in chunks, plopping unceremoniously to the floor.

By the third floor, the tension in the air was palpable as the blonde man readied his voice to speak. “You idiot!” he cried out, finally allowing himself to look down at the mess of cake and frosting decorating one of his finer suits.

Merlin was finally jolted back to his painful reality, the man’s words jarring him and bringing into fruition the mess he just made. He made a strangled noise before attempting to pick off some of the cupcake liners that had stuck to the man’s torso. “I am so incredibly sorry sir, I don’t even know how to properly say how sorry I am-”

The man roughly shoved Merlin’s fumbling hands aside, slapping them down to Merlin’s front. “Do you have any idea what sort of a mess you’ve made?”

Trying for a more amusing approach, Merlin hesitantly choked out, “A very sugary mess?”

With that, the man’s face in front of him contorted even further in hatred and disdain. But slowly a sort of realization seemed to envelope his features, leaving his mouth open wide. “Please tell me by chance that someone else in this office building requested cupcakes today? Please tell me you weren’t here for my half-sister…”

Merlin gasped in shock. His half-sister? “You mean, you’re Mr. Pendragon, er, Arthur?”

His revelation did nothing to help the blonde man. “You’re joking, right? These were the cupcakes that were supposed to be for Morgana?” His face twisted into a painful grimace as he raked his hand through his hair, forgetting momentarily that it was full of frosting.

Still not quite over the shock that he ruined Arthur Pendragon, Merlin started to babble trying to make everything okay. “Um, yeah, they were for Morgana.” He paused as the look on Arthur’s face turned to disappointment along with more anger presumably for Merlin. “But don’t worry!”

“Don’t worry? It happens to be my step-sister’s only golden birthday and now she is without a cake and I’m supposed to not worry? Are you an even bigger idiot than I took you for?” His voice thundered loudly in the small space.

Trying to keep cool, Merlin started again. “For your information, these were extra cupcakes. My partner Elena is already upstairs with the cake. No need to be a prat.”

The relief that Arthur showed was minimal. “Prat? You think I’m a prat? Who is the one who can’t even handle a box of cupcakes? For god’s sake…”

“I’ll pay for your dry cleaning! They cupcakes are free of charge! What else do you want me to do? I can only say sorry so many times to someone who won’t listen.” Merlin huffed, trying to understand why Arthur was being such a dick. Sure, he was a little worse for the wear, but staying angry at him was going to accomplish anything.

“Just stay away from me, yeah? Your presence isn’t needed here anymore. I do believe your job is done.” With that, the elevator door swung open and Arthur stepped out, shaking his head in disbelief, dodging into the large door across the way from the elevator, presumably to change into another lavish expensive suit so he could pretend like nothing ever happened. Merlin stayed behind and opted to hang out and wait for Elena by the van. He could tell being anywhere near Arthur was the last place he needed to be right now.

~

Merlin moped around miserably at the bakery over the next few days, trying hard not to think that he may have single-handedly lost the most important customer he and his friends could ever have hoped for. If Arthur told Elena at all what had happened, she had yet to mention it, so even she couldn’t understand why he was in such a mood. She herself was quite pleased with the reception at Pendragon Corporation, most notably the fact that she snagged Gwaine’s number before driving them back to the bakery.

The only person who managed to squeeze the story out of Merlin was Gwen, and that was perhaps because she was his flatmate and best friend ever since Will was out of the picture.

She sat with him down on the sofa a day after the incident under the pretense of watching Doctor Who. “So Elena seemed to have got off pretty lucky at Pendragon Corporation,” she started hesitantly, eyeing Merlin warily. “How do you think it went?”

It only took Merlin one long glance into her dark brown eyes before he felt the shameful story tumbling out of his mouth like vomit. “Oh Gwen, I highly doubt that they will ever want us back.”

“Merlin, what happened? Elena said the party went fine…” She started to massage his ankles as he stretched out and settled in to relay the most embarrassing moment of his life thus far.

“There may have been an incident in an elevator,” he started off vaguely, trying to figure out how to tell Gwen without crying. He just really didn’t want to feel like he let her and their business down.

She kept looking at him calmly, her hands kneading over his metatarsals the same way she massages the last bit of frosting out of the piping bags. Merlin finally took a breath and then plunged onwards.

“I was getting the extra cupcakes that you sent along, but I was in a hurry because I didn’t want to run into Morgana in the elevators and ruin the whole surprise before she even saw her cake. I don’t even know what Morgana looks like, but at the time, it was a huge concern. So I was racing to make it back upstairs in time when I sprinted into the elevator without realizing it may have other occupants.”

Gwen looked up from her hands, sensing the climax of the story. “Please tell me you didn’t find out who Morgana was because she was in that elevator with you?”

Merlin shook his head morosely. “If only it could have been her. According to Elena, she’s a real laugh. Her humor has some bite, but it’s worth getting to know. But no, it was not Morgana. It was her half-brother.”

“Arthur? You ran into Arthur in the elevator?” Gwen cut in. “Is he as handsome as Elena lead on? Because she claimed he was even more lovely than Lance, but I’m finding that hard to believe.”

Smiling weakly, Merlin shrugged his shoulders. “I guess it all depends on your preference for blondes over brunettes? But yes, it was Arthur in the elevator.”

While he contemplated how to forge onwards with his woeful tale, Gwen prodded at him some more. “What could be so bad about being in an elevator with Arthur?”

“Being in an elevator with Arthur after accidentally flinging a box of cupcakes onto him?” Merlin winced, his eyes squinting as his mouth made a terrible grimace.

Gwen’s mouth dropped open into a perfect O. “The cupcakes? They managed to get all over Arthur?”

He nodded, ducking his head as his large ears flamed the same red as his cheeks. “Quite spectacularly yes. Although Arthur didn’t seem to think that it was so great. I even offered to pay for his dry cleaning! I told him the extra cupcakes were free of charge! But he still wanted nothing to do with me. I could hardly see why he would ever come back here for business.”

Gwen stopped massaging his ankles long enough to clamber up to Merlin and give him a long, earnest hug. “Oh Merlin, it can’t really be that bad!”

Rolling his eyes, Merlin drew back. “I can assure you, it can be. You can start blaming me for the premature failure that I’ve most certainly brought to our business. You can kick me out anytime you see fit. Really, I would completely understand.”

The heartfelt look that Gwen sent his way made him squirm. “You think that I could just carelessly throw you out to the curb? You think that none of us knew what we were getting into when we started up a business? We all took economics Merlin, we knew the risks. And we are not going to fail! When will you learn that?”

All Merlin could do was purse his lips and pretend to watch the television as he tried not to let Gwen’s words get to him. It was silly to think that he was always all alone, but sometimes it was hard to see the world any other way.

“Have you tried to apologize again?” Gwen suggested gently. “Perhaps send him an ‘I’m sorry!’ cupcake? Nothing sweetens people up quite like a cupcake!”

“You really think that will make a difference?” Merlin asked morosely. He was desperate to try anything just to not be on the bad side of such an influential man like Arthur Pendragon.

“Oh honey, anything is worth a shot. The only place you can go is up, right?” With that, Gwen left the sofa to put on the kettle for a nice cup of tea for the two of them.

~

The next morning, Cupcakes of Camelot saw to its usual steady business while Merlin contemplated which cupcake on their menu said ‘I’m sorry!’ in the best way possible. He was debating between Lemon Meringue and Red Velvet Dream when the bells above the door tinkled gently, indicating another customer.

“Coming!” Merlin called out as he made his way out of the labyrinth of the kitchen. It was only Gwen and him at the counter today and Gwen was enjoying her break with a Chocolate Peppermint cupcake with Percy in the kitchen.

As soon as he poked his head out of the kitchen door he almost went lurching right back inside. Of all the time he spent thinking about Arthur thus far, he never in his worst nightmare pictured him actually in his shop. Did he come here seeking revenge? Was he going to throw all the cupcakes on display at Merlin as a show of retribution? And wait. Was that Sophia, the uppity receptionist with him? As nervous as Merlin was about showing his face, he couldn’t help but think of how much fun he and Elena would have laughing about the two of them. Of course it would be Arthur that had her attention. He could hardly believe it.

Taking his share of shallow breaths, Merlin finally could linger in the doorway no longer. He stepped out to the counter, the friendliest smile possible plastered on his panicked face. He could only hope it didn’t look quite like the grimace that it felt like.

Sophia was distracted by some of the local artwork alongside the door so she could hardly appreciate the shocked look that came across Arthur’s face when he saw just whose shop he wandered into. Judging by the upward angle of his blonde eyebrows and his gaping mouth, Merlin could only guess that he didn’t realize this was Merlin’s cupcake shop.

“Have I told you lately how sorry I am for ruining everything?” Merlin blurted out quietly as Arthur’s mouth still gulped around the air for some words to express his sentiments.

He was saved from talking by Sophia, who was still admiring a particularly lovely canvas of tulips and teacups. “You are going to go to the office party with me tonight, right dear? Everyone is expecting the two of us to go, and it would be so much nicer if we went together…”

Arthur’s ears turned a violent shade of red as his face got all blotchy over the words Sophia was broadcasting to the shop. If Merlin wasn’t mistaken, he may not have been the worst of Arthur’s problems after all. It seemed like Sophia might take precedence over his idiotic ways for once.

Finally, Arthur regained the power to speak. “Together? You think we should go together?” He pretended to scrutinize the display case as Merlin tried to make his presence as small as possible. As much as he wanted to be able to tell Elena a juicy tale about the twatwaffle of a receptionist, he really would rather not get involved in Arthur’s personal affairs.

“Of course, darling. It’s the buzz around the offices, you know. Everyone thinks we would be lovely together; they all think that you have been single for far too long. I mean it is one thing to be dealing with issues with your father, but you’re past all that now. It’s time to move on! Put on a fresh face!” she harped on about, glancing briefly at the painting with butterflies before turning around to join Arthur.

And then Sophia finally noticed Merlin, the twerpy adolescent she had to deal with in her pristine workplace. “Oh, it’s you again. How nice it is to see you.”

The frost layering her voice rivaled the English winters Merlin was accustomed to growing up with and he could hardly keep from biting back an equally irksome retort. “Always a pleasure,” he managed to choke out.

“So Arthur, what will it be? I have to get ready if we’re going, you know. I hardly think that I’d be able to eat a cupcake. You do want me to look nice in my dress, yeah?” Sophia seemed to be a real piece of work. She also seemed oblivious to Arthur’s painful discomfort as she tried to lace her arm through his as he continued to look at Merlin’s cupcakes like they were the original works of Vincent Van Gogh.

In an attempt to actually try and help Arthur, despite his prattish ways, Merlin spoke up. “Cupcake is on the house. It’s my pleasure.”

He sought out to catch Arthur’s eye so he could see how hard he was trying to make things up, but it turned out to be easier than expected. He gave Merlin a curious smile before leaning over on his countertop and putting himself rather close inside Merlin’s personal space.

“Aw, you don’t have to do that sweetheart! Just because I’m your boyfriend doesn’t mean I don’t ever have to pay for cupcakes!” Arthur said, giving him a simpering smile. Merlin was close to blurting out something along the lines of what the fuck? but the look that Arthur tried to convey with his eyes seemed to clamp down on his tongue. Instead he only smiled and tried to understand what was going on.

“Oh but I insist!” he began at the same time Sophia burst out with, “Boyfriend? He’s your boyfriend?”

With that, Arthur clasped Merlin’s hand, twining his warm fingers through Merlin’s rather bony ones. “Of course, didn’t I tell you? That’s why we came here! I had to remind Merlin of our date tonight, you know, the office party?”

Sophia was having a hard time containing her disgust at the situation. “Really Arthur? Is that really what this was all about? How could you even think that I would want to come to a place like this?”

Arthur’s thumb started to doodle small circles over the palm of Merlin’s hand, sending endless zings to his heart. Merlin could hardly understand what was going on, but at least Arthur’s hand was keeping him grounded. It was a sensation he quite frankly wouldn’t mind getting used to.

“But everyone loves cupcakes, right love?” Arthur asked innocently, giving Merlin the most sincere face he could muster.

And that face of sincerity was the only warning Merlin got before Arthur loomed closer and delicately placed his soft lips on top of his own. The kiss lasted but a few seconds, but Merlin found himself altogether too shocked to do much but try not to pull Arthur in for a proper one as he gently leaned away, back towards Sophia.

“If all you two are going to do is canoodle, we really should be getting back to the offices Arthur. We do have work to do, as I’m sure Merlin here does as well.” Sophia whined.

Arthur fumbled around with words, still glancing back at Merlin, looking at him rather curiously. “Right, right. Of course. Work.”

Sophia hardly contained her disdain as she slowly backed away to the exit.

Merlin, finally regaining some sort of thought process had the tact to hastily shove a snickerdoodle cupcake in a to-go box for Arthur. “I really do want you to have this. You know. Because.”

He left it at that as he placed the box gently in Arthur’s hand, the same hand that had been grasping his own up until a few moments ago. “Okay, yeah. Sure. Thanks.”

Arthur ducked and turned away to follow after Sophia’s lead. Before he could make it all the way through the exit, he turned back. “Oh, and Merlin. What time do you get off tonight? I can swing by here before the office party.”

Merlin could hardly remember his name much less his schedule, but he figured Gwen wouldn’t mind if he left at five o’clock, regardless. “Five. I’ll be waiting!”

And with that, Arthur finally shut the door behind him gently. If Merlin wasn’t mistaken, his cheeks were a bit rosier than when he first walked in. Turning around, he saw Gwen nosing around on the other side of the kitchen door.

He hardly had time to open his mouth before she made a remark. “So Arthur really hates your guts, huh sweetheart?”

Merlin only ducked his head and blushed, unable to come up with a coherent answer. Gwen came through the door and hugged him tightly. “I told you cupcakes can fix anything, right?”

“Of course. Except the fact that I don’t know what any of that meant! Do you really think he’ll even come by tonight?” Merlin couldn’t help but hear the own hopefulness in his voice.

Gwen looked up at him. “Honestly? If Sophia is still around, I would say your chances of getting laid tonight are looking pretty good.”

“Gwen!” he squawked.

“I only say it because it’s true. And besides, we all know I never lie.”

After that, Merlin knew it was hopeless. He just hoped that whatever happened tonight, he would end up okay.

~

It was just barely five o’clock in the evening and before Merlin had time to panic and come up with an alternate plan lest Arthur decided not to show up after all (such plans included a copiously large batch of chocolate chip cupcakes and the latest season of Downton Abbey), he found himself staring at Arthur as he strolled into his shop for the second time that day. Merlin couldn’t bring himself to worry about his clothing choice – a pair of fitted navy pants and a plaid button down – before worrying if this whole night was going to be a giant mistake. He wasn’t deceived at all by what a prat Arthur was capable of being; his time spent with him in an elevator all but solidified that observation.

But the smile Arthur wore was nervous and hesitant and Merlin hardly had the compassion to walk away, especially if Gwen turned out to be right about tonight after all. Hopping over the main counter, Merlin sidled up to Arthur hesitantly. Looking straight into his shockingly blue eyes, almost the color of blue raspberry Kool-Aid, he asked, “Are you sure you actually want me with you tonight? What if there is a renegade cupcake?”

Arthur shook his head, trying to hide a small smile that was threatening to break free. “And risk being molested by Sophia? I know the situation is a mess, but after this it’s safe to say that we’re even, right?”

Merlin shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, trying to keep his emotions as cool as Arthur was.

“I really am sorry for getting you tangled up into this, Merlin. Do you think we could both stomach one night together, have a little fun?” The words coming from Arthur’s mouth couldn’t help but make Merlin laugh out loud.

“I’m sorry, but you? And fun? I’m not sure those words have ever been in the same sentence together.” Merlin smirked.

Arthur tugged him along outside the shop by his elbow. “And we’ll just have to see about that, now won’t we, Merlin?”

He was shoved hastily into a sleek black car, the model and make most definitely foreign and expensive. The leather seats felt smooth and cool against his arse and Merlin wiggled about trying to get used to the luxury of it all. Arthur smirked as he entered the other side. “Getting comfortable, are we?”

Merlin stuck out his tongue at him and continued to marvel and fiddle with all of the features and dials around him. “What is it that you do, anyways? Must be something nice to have toys like this.”

Arthur gave him an amused smile, trying to understand what was going on in the mind of the man next to him. “I’m an actuary. I deal with statistics and insurance policy stuff mainly. Nothing too flashy.”

The heightened expression on Merlin’s face said otherwise. “That’s impressive, though! My mate Freya was studying to become one of those-”

“And now Freya works for me.” Arthur said. Merlin’s blue eyes widened at the information. “It is a small world, you know.”

“I guess,” Merlin marveled before continuing on. “So small it was lucky that you ended up at my cupcake shop this afternoon with Sophia.”

“Yes, well. Isn’t fate lovely? I was looking for a neutral enough place to tell Sophia that I clearly wasn’t interested and that I didn’t think we’d work out and nothing looked more inviting than a bakery.”

“Nothing solves problems quite like a cupcake,” Merlin murmured.

“What was that?”

“Oh nothing. Just wondering why you didn’t think you and Sophia weren’t destined to be? She seemed, er, amiable enough.” Merlin grinned wickely.

Arthur could hardly contain his eye roll. “Nice enough would be fine if I was interested in finding a woman to date, but…”

Merlin gasped quietly. “Am I your first public but pretend gay boyfriend? Should I prepare myself for the scathing looks of women across your office complex? Ooh how exciting!”

Arthur laughed, shaking his head in mock disbelief. “Keep your trousers on, I’m bisexual and no, you would not be the first. But you may actually be the first at Pendragon Corporations,” he said, on second thought.

“So you’re saying I will have to fend off vicious women like Sophia with swords! At least I can count on Freya for help. Perhaps we can enlist Gwaine, he seemed good-natured enough…” Merlin prattled on while Arthur kept on laughing, hardly paying attention his surroundings until his office building loomed ahead in the distance.

He pulled up into employee parking and handed his car off to a valet, taking Merlin by the arm as he stumbled gracelessly out of the car.

“Ready for the lion’s den, darling?”

~

As if the office party wasn’t swanky enough, Merlin had a hard time being sure what exactly his role of a fake boyfriend entailed. He asked Arthur as much.

“Just play along and you’ll be fine. With my luck, the two of us will vanquish all potential suitors for months!” he remarked as he steered Merlin by the arm towards a group of well-dressed women with one of his warm hands resting on the lower part of Merlin’s back. Merlin squirmed momentarily by the contact, but settled upon seeing Arthur raise an eyebrow at him.

“Doing all right?” he asked, his thumb drawing circles and skimming along the bottom of the ribs on Merlin’s back.

“Just great. Lovely in fact!” Merlin gasped as he tried not to feel aroused by Arthur’s close proximity and his wandering hands. This was all just a business venture and nothing more, he kept continually reminding himself. Arthur just needs to make it all look convincing. None of it meant anything. Yet still, he couldn’t help the warm feeling from unfurling across his gut as Arthur stood shoulder to shoulder with him as he introduced him to some of his fellow coworkers. Arthur was just getting the job done, that was all.

Names and stories floated over Merlin’s head as he was paraded around from group to group of people who all seemed to know and admire the prat that was attached to his side. After they both had knocked back a few preliminary cocktails, Arthur’s hand began to wander further, occasionally groping at Merlin’s arse. Merlin’s cheeks seemed to be permanently blushing and he took the liberty to clutch at Arthur’s strong arm whenever possible.

It had been almost an hour before they had a moment all to themselves as they stood on the fringe of the party, by the windows overlooking the city.

“Your ploy seems to be working wonders,” Merlin commented as they looked out at the surrounding buildings together.

“Yeah, it’s great.” Arthur said, distractedly fiddling with the collar of his shirt after finally removing his hot hand from Merlin’s back. The absence of heat made Merlin shiver and he could only wonder how long he could keep up the nonchalant interest and hide the fact that he may actually like Arthur in a way that was romantically inclined.

They seemed to do best with lighthearted teasing, so Merlin decided that that may be the best approach for the question lingering on his mind. “So, because we are boyfriends, does that mean you’re taking me home to yours tonight? Or are we due for a shag at my flat? I can never keep these things straight.”

Arthur’s face flared red fast as he continued to avoid Merlin’s gaze and look pointedly down at the traffic on the street below. At first Merlin thought he overstepped some sort of unspoken boundary, but really, how was he supposed to know what was appropriate? Pretending to be someone’s significant other was not an issue he dealt with on a regular basis.

He was about to apologize for his crass comment when Arthur finally spoke out. “We’ll go back to mine of course, I can only imagine the dismally dirty state of your flat at the moment.”

With that, he finally looked straight at Merlin, raising his eyebrows like his offer was a challenge. Unsure exactly where this left them, Merlin fumbled with his glass briefly but then returned his gaze to Arthur. “Excellent. I do hope you cook breakfast.”

Merlin turned around and strode towards the open bar, feeling Arthur’s presence as he followed him and slowly caught up to him as they both ordered another round of drinks, Arthur’s hand fitting comfortably on Merlin’s back again.

They hardly received their cocktails before a stunning brunette made her way purposefully towards Arthur.

“Arthur James Pendragon! What exactly is the meaning of all this?” She gestured a thin, pale arm towards Arthur’s connection with Merlin. “Where is Sophia? She’s been pining for weeks to go out with you yet here you are with a friend! What am I supposed to do? Lock you two in a room together?”

If Arthur was blushing before, now his face must have been on fire. “Morgana, this is hardly the time and place to be talking about this. Can’t we just talk tomorrow?”

The scowl she sent his way rivaled the way Merlin remembered Arthur’s face being after getting shoved at with cupcakes. He could see the resemblance in the way the acted that they were related, even if they were only half-siblings.

“Now is not the time? When is the time right for you Arthur? It clearly wasn’t when you took Sophia out for lunch today, that’s for sure.” Morgana huffed. “What could you have possibly done to make her come alone? It should be her here now, not him!”

“I’m Merlin,” Merlin quipped in before Arthur tried to explain himself.

“Pleasure.” Morgana said through pursed lips. “Why exactly is Merlin here?”

“If you would stop jumping up to protect Sophia all the time, I could explain myself.” Arthur retorted, his hands burrowing deep into the muscles of Merlin’s back. Merlin tried not to make a face, but it seemed like his presence was even less desired here now than it was a few days ago at Morgana’s birthday surprise.

“If you’ll just excuse me, I think I need to quick pop into the loo,” Merlin mumbled before darting off like a firework, trying not to make more of a scene than there already was. He of course had no intention of actually figuring out where the toilets were in this bloody fancy building, but Merlin did need fresh air. He scurried towards the edge of the office area, finally locating a stairwell. He opened the door quietly and slowly made his way upwards in pursuit of the rooftop.

Finally after several flights, he pushed open the emergency exit door and made his way towards the fresh air. Merlin wandered all the way over to the edge of the building so he could sit and dangle is feet over the side. He slumped down and tried to not think about Arthur and all the mistakes he made that night, but the thoughts pervaded his mind anyways.

Maybe it had been true about what Arthur told him in the car earlier, maybe he was bisexual, but he certainly never expressed his male interests publically before. The looks all of Arthur’s coworkers gave him were consistent with the fact that Arthur had never been with a man while employed here, but the surprised tone of his half-sister, well, that suggested that he may never have been with a man at all when it mattered. Merlin tried to push away the thoughts of rejection and foolishness that overcame him but it was too hard. It was foolish for him to think that Arthur would actually be interested in him in that way. His role to play tonight was simply a means to an end, payback essentially for all the trouble he caused in Arthur’s life before.

He sat in the almost silence, listening to the sounds of Albion bustle around below him. He waited until his breathing was even and he couldn’t feel any traces on his body where Arthur’s hands had wandered before pulling out his cell phone, turning it on to place an emergency call to Gwen. There was no way he could go home with Arthur tonight, even if he planned on staying true to the fake promise of breakfast. It was a foolish game he had gotten into and Merlin could only hope that his heart had yet to get too far involved.

His phone had hardly turned on before he heard the gentle snick of the door close behind him. Merlin could only guess that Arthur had finally found him.

“It’s fine, you know. You can go back to your party and have fun. I’ll get a ride from a friend.” Merlin called out.

He heard a defeated sigh close behind him and he felt Arthur’s presence as he lounged next to him over the edge. “You really have to let me explain.”

Merlin shut his eyes and tried not to sound as emotional as he felt. It had just been a few hours! How could he possibly become so enamored with such a prat was beyond him. “It’s not necessary. I can see that my presence here isn’t needed any longer.”

Merlin had been content with ignoring Arthur despite his close proximity, but he wasn’t expecting it when Arthur’s hand clasped his own and he felt Arthur turn his body towards him. He still refused to open his eyes and acknowledge Arthur’s presence, trying to make his intentions clear. He just worried that his clammy, sweaty palms might give away more of his hidden emotions.

“What I said to you before was all true, you know.” Arthur started off hesitantly. “The part about being interested in guys and girls that is. But you see, it’s always just been easier for me to just accept the girls part. It was the normal thing to do, it was the thing that never required any explanations.”

He paused to take a breath and reorganize his thoughts. These words had to come out just right if he didn’t want to sound like a bigoted wanker. “But sometimes it’s not enough to do what’s easy. I’m sure you know that better than I do. It’s just, the fact that I ended up in your bakery today was like the second chance I had been looking for. I really wanted to apologize for my behavior before today and all I could think about was how hurt you looked and then all of a sudden, there you were still feeling sorry and miserable too, and I couldn’t help myself. I figured if I was going to take a risk, it had better be for someone worth it.”

Arthur stopped talking for a moment again, trying to give Merlin time to let it all sink in. Merlin cracked open the eye closest to Arthur and took in the sight of the man beside him twiddling around with Merlin’s fingers nervously as he looked down at their palms in his lap, trying hard to look okay when it was clear he was waiting for Merlin to say something. He couldn’t think of anything that would top off Arthur’s confession, so he went right back to humor.

“It’s okay, I knew that you were really coming back to collect up on my dry cleaning offer.” Merlin said, trying to keep a straight face. He opened both of his eyes and focused on Arthur until he looked up and figured out that Merlin was joking around with him.

He smiled gratefully and his cheeks were stained pink. “So does Morgana know now? Or do I have to go around being your friend for the rest of the night?”

“Oh, don’t worry. She’s aware. And she’s okay with it. Or she will be at least, once she gets over the fact that I kept it from her for so long.”

“Good! At least you won’t have to hide anymore.” Merlin told him earnestly. It was hard enough living a life that seemed to be different from every other normal person around you, but as long as people are accepting, it makes being yourself that much easier.

“I’m really sorry if this isn’t how you wanted to spend your night Merlin. I’m sure you had other less stupid plans than this.” Arthur commented gesturing down at the party below them. “I’m sorry if I got you tangled up in a mess of lies you don’t have to be a part of. It was rather selfish, I’ll admit.”

“I think it’s only selfish if just one party wants something. However if both parties are guilty as charged…” Merlin trailed off, leaning in towards Arthur.

Arthur met him halfway, their lips cushioning together chastely, brushing lightly at the surface. But they weren’t inside Merlin’s place of employ anymore. Instead they were out at a party, supposedly boyfriends already. He had had enough of the chastity and he opened his mouth gently, letting his tongue slip through to lick at Arthur’s bottom lip. Arthur moaned gently, his mouth falling open, inviting Merlin in as his teeth scraped gently across the surface of Merlin’s supple lips.

Merlin couldn’t tell how long that had been making out before deciding that perhaps the rooftop wasn’t the best place for where this night was going. “Shall we take this back to yours then?” he asked cheekily as he broke away momentarily while Arthur struggled to find enough air to breathe. He peppered Merlin’s lips with quick brushes, smiling as his mouth made his way over to the wide shell of Merlin’s ear.

“That was my promise, wasn’t it?” Arthur chuckled, hoisting Merlin up as the stumbled almost drunkenly away from the edge. They couldn’t make it downstairs fast enough; eventually the stairs weren’t cutting it and the snuck back into an area with offices and slumped up next to the elevators as they waited for it to arrive.

They were giddy in ways that grown men usually aren’t, the anticipation of the evening finally hitting them hard in the chest with their breathlessness. Merlin turned his head to face Arthur’s, taking in his profile – his ski slope nose, his pert lips, his piercing eyes, his golden locks. Arthur turned to face him too, sensing Merlin’s gaze.

“You sure you really want to do this?” Merlin asked, for posterities sake. “It’s not too late if you aren’t ready.”

Arthur looked at him longingly, his gaze sweeping over Merlin’s lank frame. “I wasn’t sure before. I wasn’t sure if I really was allowed to have all of this. But yeah, right now I couldn’t be more certain. I want this Merlin. I want you.”

Merlin beamed, the smile stretching across his whole face and lighting up his eyes. He snatched Arthur’s arm and yanked him into the waiting elevator and slammed him against the back wall as he punched the button for the parking ramp. His mouth found Arthur’s quickly, nipping quickly, his teeth finding purchase on Arthur’s wet lips.

He broke apart to breathe as he felt Arthur’s smile underneath his own. “Too bad we couldn’t have been this close last time we were in this elevator.”

“It would have made much better use of that frosting!” Merlin laughed, surprised when the elevator pinged to a stop so soon.

They left the elevator half-draped over each other, hands groping wherever possible. “How close did you say you lived?” Merlin murmured as he felt his erection press uncomfortably against the tight fabric of his pants.

Arthur palmed his hands around Merlin’s crotch over the fabric. “Not close enough, I think.”

By then they had somehow stumbled over to the correct expensive car and Arthur barely managed to unlock the door to the backseat before he starting rutting his own stiff erection against Merlin’s muscular thigh.

“I’m sure your refractory period is sufficient?” Arthur asked before letting out a gasp as the friction against his cock became almost unbearable.

Merlin glanced up at Arthur through his eyelashes. “If you talk all scientific like that, my refractory period can be whatever you want it to be.”

Arthur moaned as he struggled to concentrate enough to unzip Merlin’s trousers. “Excellent. Then you won’t mind this slight detour.”

He succeeded in wrenching Merlin’s zipper down and with a slight twist of his wrists, he managed to drag his trousers off from Merlin’s tight arse. Merlin felt weak in his knees by the turn in events and Arthur took that opportunity to gently set Merlin onto the backseat of his car. He knelt down in front of him, his knees hardly noticing the harshness of the carpark concrete.

It took all of Merlin’s might not to come merely at the sight of Arthur on his knees in front of him, looking lustily at his cock tenting up the front of his pants. In his attempt to last longer, he started to babble. “For being inexperienced, I think you’ve been quite impressive thus far. No one’s been able to make me this hard in ages. I don’t think Will could ever quite manage what you’ve done in a matter of minutes, it’s just that…”

Merlin slowly trailed off as Arthur rested his head against Merlin’s thigh, his breath ghosting at the thin cotton layer on his legs.

“I really do like it when you talk,” Arthur commented softly as he slowly dipped his hands under the waistband of Merlin’s pants, finger by finger.

“I could try to keep it up but oh!” Merlin writhed in delight as Arthur’s warm hands finally made contact with his achingly hard cock. Arthur took his time in slowly dragging out Merlin’s cock, finally allowing himself to appreciate it fully. It was longer than he expected, what with Merlin’s weedy frame and all, and it was already leaking precome at the tip. He looked at in awe and appreciation before slowly smoothing the beads of moisture around Merlin’s head. Merlin glanced at him under heavy eyes one last time before he had to throw his head back to accommodate all of the feelings zinging across the blood in his body.

Arthur was judging his progress by Merlin’s reactions or lack thereof, so when he lowered his mouth down to Merlin’s cock and he could hear Merlin gasp in appreciation, he knew that he was on the right track. He slowly licked a stripe along the pulsating vein on the underside of Merlin’s cock and he held Merlin’s thighs down to suppress his shivers. At the base he started ghosting kisses alongside the length all the way down to the head again, feeling Merlin shake with want and need underneath him.

“Arthur. Arthur.” Merlin’s begging made him look up at him underneath his blonde eyelashes. “Just suck it. Please.”

The frank need and desire coating Merlin’s speech sent additional tremors to Arthur’s own burning erection as he finally gave in to Merlin’s desires. He lowered his mouth gently down over the tip, his tongue swirling around the remaining precome as his saliva started to spread. He slowly lowered his mouth over the full length of Merlin, almost gagging with the size of it all. But he wanted this more than anything, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make Merlin moan with pleasure.

It took Merlin a few seconds to regain control over his muscles enough to start thrusting his pulsating cock into Arthur’s mouth. The tight hot grip his stretched lips held over Merlin was enchanting and Merlin felt his orgasm start to tingle the tips of his extremities with rapid speed. “Arthur, Arthur, I think I’m going to. Arthur it’s coming,” he gasped out as the orgasm succeeded in racking through his whole body.

Arthur took Merlin’s orgasm in stride, swallowing down most of it, but some of Merlin’s come dangled over his swollen lips. He pulled himself up to Merlin who was still woozy with his rush of hormones. He unzipped his own fly as he tugged out his still throbbing erection as he pushed Merlin back so his body was horizontal across the leather of the backseat. His mouth pressed sloppily down on Merlin’s and he could feel Merlin’s tongue licking away the remains of his come as he regained the ability to move his muscles freely again.

Merlin continued to kiss and nip at Arthur’s soft and swollen lips as his hands roved down to their crotches. Reaching down and grasping at Arthur’s heavy cock, Merlin’s hand brought it flush to his own and he started to rub them together. Arthur began to pant above him and his mouth moved away as he tried to find a way to hold himself together. Merlin kept rubbing their cocks together and he spread them both over with Arthur’s precome. He also took the opportunity to suck at Arthur’s exposed collarbone, leaving behind a mark that was sure to bruise up bright and purple come morning.

His tongue continued to swipe across Arthur’s defined collar and clavicle as his fingers pumped hard around Arthur’s cock. Arthur’s groaning was impossible to ignore and it only fueled Merlin to stroke him off faster.

“Merlin, fuck Merlin. I can’t, not much longer.”

“Shhh.” Merlin whispered into his broad chest. “Lose yourself. Let yourself lose control.”

Arthur panted, his cry strangled and needy. “Merlin, fuck. Merlin!”

Merlin held Arthur’s chest close to his as the throws of his orgasm wracked and coursed through his body, his come pooling between their two chests. Arthur continued to pant, bringing his head down to Merlin’s, his breath tickling the shell of his ears pleasantly. Merlin rubbed slow circles down Arthur’s back, eventually coming to rest his hands on the rugged muscles of Arthur’s arse.

Slowly, Arthur was brought back down from his high and he turned to face Merlin. “Think we can make it home now?”

Merlin looked at Arthur contemplatively. “We can certainly try.”

Arthur tilted Merlin’s chin level with his and kissed him deep, their tongues dancing and darting around each other as both men tried to prepare themselves to make it to the front seat. Slowly, Arthur tugged reluctantly away, sitting up and kneeling over Merlin’s prostrate body. He folded his soft cock back into his pants and did up his trousers. He took his time leaning over Merlin, fondling his cock before kissing it and tucking it back inside Merlin’s cotton pants.

“Fuck Arthur, you’re going to make me hard before I even make it to the passenger seat.” Merlin protested feebly.

“Just preparing you for my flat, that’s all.” Arthur replied with a smirk, slowly easing himself off of the lines of Merlin’s body. He tugged at Merlin’s arms until he was up in a sitting position, letting the blood rush slowly back to Merlin’s head before lifting him completely up out of the backseat.

Merlin grudgingly tugged his trousers up and pecked at Arthur’s lips before shoving him off towards the driver’s side of the car.

“Drive, goddamit. I can’t wait forever!” Merlin whined as he collapsed gracelessly into the front seat. Arthur skidded quickly around to his side of the car and revved the engine restlessly.

They took off quickly without much further ado, Merlin’s hands stroking Arthur’s thigh impatiently. It turns out that Arthur only lived a quick ten minute drive from his place of employ, but it was ten minutes too long for the desires of the flesh. Arthur hardly had the key out of the ignition before Merlin loped over to his side of the car and tugged him out, urging him quickly to the front door of his flat. They laughed as the traipsed across the marble lobby and into the waiting elevator, their hands clutching each other for support.

Finally the elevator stopped and Arthur dug around for his keys while Merlin’s hands crawled up his shirt and were skating over the knobs of his spine. After several unsuccessful attempts to jam the key into the door, it finally swung open and Merlin practically collapsed into Arthur as they made their way inside. Arthur slammed the door shut behind him and gestured around grandly to the sleek design that was his home.

“Would you like a grand tour?” he offered, biting at Merlin’s earlobe.

“Only the tour that takes me straight to your posh bed, those are the only services that I require.” Merlin said.

Arthur grinned wickedly. “Pushy, huh?”

Merlin gave a lazy smile. “Not pushy, just needy. Besides I’m sure I could appreciate your living space with daylight better anyways.”

“As you will.” Arthur said, taking his hand and running with him down a smooth hardwood floor hallway.

Merlin hardly had time to appreciate the tasteful beauty of Arthur’s bedroom when the bed loomed large and distracting right in the middle. They wasted no time in shucking off their clothes and soon they collapsed into a naked heap onto the plush duvet.

“So where did we leave off exactly?” Arthur murmured as he reached into his nightstand, pulling out lube and condoms.

Merlin paused in faux concentration. “Well we have done the hand jobs and the blow jobs. I think that leaves us with just one completely unexplored option?”

“Right, I do believe fucking was in order.” Arthur smiled manically as he doused his fingers with slippery lube. He loomed over Merlin and kissed him slow and sweet as his hand made his way past Merlin’s hardening cock and tender balls, reaching all the way down to his tight hole. His fingers teased lightly around the muscles outside Merlin’s body until Merlin himself took his hand and forced Arthur to slide a finger inside of him. Arthur was unprepared for the burning heat of Merlin’s body, but he stroked regardless, reveling in the tight heat of it all. Soon he slipped in a second finger, easing the tightness out of Merlin’s body with the magic of his hands. Merlin began to groan in agony as he slipped his third finger all the way in until only his knuckles were outside of the burning heat.

“Arthur, fuck Arthur, you have to. I need you. Fuck I need this now!”

Arthur reluctantly withdrew his fingers so he could slide a condom onto his cock weeping already with precome. “I’ve got you Merlin, just hold on Merlin, I’ve got you.”

With that, he nudged his aching cock past Merlin’s erection all the way back until the tip grazed the cleft of Merlin’s arse.

“I need you now Arthur. Please Arthur. Fuck!”

Arthur finally slipped his cock deep into Merlin’s arse and he just stayed there a second, absorbing the intense heat of Merlin’s want and desire all around him. He lowered himself down and kissed down the length of Merlin’s wiry chest before he started to thrust and rock his body into Merlin’s fragile frame. Merlin started to buck his hips as Arthur’s fingers grazed along his ribcage and settling on Merlin’s peaked nipples.

The resounding moans that enveloped them was enough for the both of them as they continued to thrust and rut their bodies against each other, eventually working out a feasible rhythm that satisfied them both. Arthur lowered his lips down on Merlin’s left nipple and his tongue swathed at the surface and his teeth gently bit down. Merlin gasped and clutched at the soft hair at the nape of Arthur’s neck as he tried to ground himself. He let one hand down to furiously rub himself off, he was just so close.

Arthur too felt the wave of his orgasm in close proximity and his thrusting increased with forcefulness, shoving up against Merlin’s prostate, giving them both unequivocal amounts of feelings building up in their guts. Arthur couldn’t hold on much longer and with one final full thrust he felt his orgasm wreak havoc against his body, forcing him to collapse across Merlin as he lost complete control. Merlin himself came only instants after Arthur, feeling his cock swell up inside him. His come splurged out across the both of them as they lay still for a moment, trying to remember that there was such thing as gravity and the world slowly came crashing down around them.

Lazily, Arthur pulled out his now soft cock and he swiftly tugged the condom off. Tying it off, he thrust it to the floor and he brought himself level with Merlin. Gently, he kissed at Merlin’s nose. Merlin’s eyes opened blearily, his pupils blown wide and adoring. It would never cease to amaze him that he was the cause for such exultation.

“You still okay?” Merlin murmured, pulling Arthur’s body flush against his.

“Never been better.” Arthur said, carding his hands through Merlin’s bedhead.

Merlin smiled contentedly, running his fingers across Arthur’s cheekbones. “So, breakfast in the morning then?”

“Well you see, I really can’t cook,” Arthur began guiltily.

Merlin pushed aside his feeble protests quickly. “Don’t worry about it. I have a better idea. One that involves frosting.”

With that, Merlin flopped over and settled his back against Arthur’s torso, snuggling in tight. There was nothing that cupcakes couldn’t fix.

~fin~


End file.
